Comfort my People. - Father Dave's Blog

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1)

Hi Fighter,

I had the great privilege this week of being the guest ‘Voice in the Wilderness’ on my favourite weekly podcast – Pulpit Fiction.

Unless you’re a seasoned preacher or a Bible geek (like me) you probably don’t tune in each week to hear Robb McCoy and Eric Fistler discuss the weekly lectionary readings. I’ve been doing it for more years than I can remember. Even so, this is the first time I’ve actually made an appearance on the show – sharing my thoughts on this week’s reading from Isaiah, chapter 40.

I’ve pasted the transcript below, though reading it means you won’t get to hear me singing Handel’s version of “Comfort ye, my people”, which I opened with. For that, you’ll have to listen to the podcast on the Pulpit Fiction website. My segment begins about six minutes in.

If you’re still reading, that’s probably because my singing voice is not something you want burnt on to your device. I understand. Even so, the fact that George Frideric Handel set the words of Isaiah 40:1 – “Comfort ye, my people” – to song in his famous “Messiah”, indicates that this passage has far-reaching significance.

OK … on with my Voice in the Wilderness:

It’s been said that the book of Isaiah is like a miniature Bible in itself. Isaiah has 66 chapters in it and our Bible (at least, the Protestant version) has 66 books in it!

Further, scholars discern at least two different voices in the book – one in chapters 1 to 39 and the other in the last 27 chapters. My Bible, likewise, is made up of two volumes – old and New Testaments – the first of which contains 39 books and the New Testament, yes, you guessed it, 27!

Further, whereas the first 39 chapters of Isaiah carry bad news of judgement, the last 27 chapters are the Good News! Of course, that’s a rather simplistic way to look at our Old and New Testaments, but one that I think Martin Luther would have been very comfortable with.

Either way, “Comfort, comfort my people” are words of Good News – words of hope, and words that speak of a new beginning for people who have been enduring the pain of foreign occupation.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40;2-3)

These are words of hope for people who have lived through generations of bondage and oppression. Whether it was the devastation inflicted on them by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medes and Persons, the Greeks, or the Romans, the people of Israel had been doing it hard for generation after generation, and, for the average Israelite, it must have felt that their servitude would go on for ever.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

A new day is dawning. Better times lie ahead. Despite all evidence to the contrary, God has not forgotten you and things are about to get a whole lot better.

Of course, from a New Testament perspective, we see these promises of hope and of a new beginning as being an anticipation of the coming of Jesus, and I guess that’s why Handel included them in his Messiah, and why we are reading them now, at the start of Advent. Even so, here we are in Advent 2023, and the experience of darkness, servitude and occupation has by no means been eradicated from the earth. Even with our Messiah having come, we continue to wait, and we continue to hang on to this great vision of the prophet, believing that it will yet be fulfilled.

Our sins are forgiven. Better days do lie ahead. “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 40:4-5)

… (end of transcript).

One thing I didn’t say in the audio but that has really been playing on my mind since, is the parallel between Isaiah’s community and the Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank today. They too have been suffering under a foreign occupation for generations, and theirs too has been brutal.

These words of comfort and joy speak to all in our world who experience oppression. The promises of God have not changed. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. There will be a great levelling out of all people. It will happen. God has promised it, and as the prophet says, “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Our Sunday Eucharist

We shared another wonderful Sunday Eucharist last weekend, and I am especially grateful to our brother, Tom, who squeezed in his session with Dave Baldwin and myself between time with his father in hospital and participation in a rally for Gaza in central Sydney.

Invariably, we spent much of our time discussing the situation in the Middle East, not only because it was at the forefront of our minds but also because the readings seemed to demand it. As I said above, the words of the prophet Isaiah seem to speak directly to those suffering in Gaza. Likewise, the alarming images shared by Jesus in the Gospel reading, warning of impending violence and calamity, seemed chillingly pertinent. I suspect that’s why we had such a strong contribution from all of our online participants last Sunday. Thank you to everybody who made it a very special time. Enjoy the unedited recording below.

I do hope you can join us this Sunday. I’ll have Rob Gilland and Father Mark with me on the panel. Sadly, Joel isn’t able to give us a pre-recorded homily this time. If any of you guys want to send me your thoughts on 2 Peter 3:8-15 via a video recording, that would be great. Either way, do join us at www.thesundayeucharist.com this Sunday from midday. You can, of course, also join us through Facebook , YouTube, Twitter, LinkedInor Streamyard.

I look forward to sharing this Eucharist with you. 😊

Let me work your corner

If you’d like to see my work continue, please click here to make a one-off donation. If you can afford a monthly contribution, sign up at Patreon.com and choose either:

Middleweight – $10/month (community mentoring)

Enrol in the Fighting Fit training program
Access member-only training videos
Engage in the members-only forum

Super-Middleweight $50/month (remote mentoring)

All of the above +
One-on-one mentoring via email, phone, or Skype

Heavyweight – $100/month (in-person mentoring)

All of the above +
Training with Father Dave’s Old School Boxing Academy

Superheavyweight – $200/month (intensive in-person mentoring)

All of the above +
One weekend per month at Binacrombi Bush Camp.

Every dollar helps keep the wheels turning – the websites, the newsletters, the broadcasts, the boxing club and the bush camp. Sign up at Patreon.com.

What’s On?

Saturday, December 9^th – Assange rally from 12.30 pm in Marrickville.
Sunday, December 10^th – Our Eucharist at noon @ thesundayeucharist.com
(or through Facebook , YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn or Streamyard).
Tuesday, December 12^th– Boxing from 5 pm @ Balmain PCYC (adults 6 pm)
Thursday, December 14^{th –}Boxing from 5 pm @ Balmain PCYC (adults 6pm)
Saturday, December 16^th – Boxing from 2 pm @ Balmain PCYC

What I haven’t listed above are any upcoming protests in support of the people of Gaza. There is one in Sydney (see here) that unfortunately clashes with our Sunday Eucharist. I assume that protests are continuing around the world, but my fear is that we are running out of energy. This invariably happens when a crisis drags on for any length of time. We can only maintain the rage for so long before emotions cool, and other aspects of life intervene. We begin to accept the status quo as the new normal, even when that normal is genocide!

We must ‘stay alert’, as our Gospel readings keep reminding us, and resist the slide into apathy. I was helped, in that regard, by this description of the situation in Gaza, given me this week by my friend, Paul Larudee:

“Today, most of the Gaza Strip is a wasteland, thanks to carpet bombing. According to the Israeli plan, most of the 2.3 million population has been driven to the small, southernmost city of Rafah, where they compete for any space of land on which to lay their heads on the increasingly cold nights. Israel will soon face them with the choice of dying on that land or being driven into other countries. Not so much by mere bombing of hospitals and population centers as by lack, of food, water, medicine, medical treatment and everything needed to sustain life.”

Paul also outlined a way forward:

“What is needed is military intervention, an international embargo on Israeli ports and airports and the closing of its borders, a complete blockade of all travel and transfer of goods and people to and from Israel, including diplomatic missions.”

And so, we pray …

As for my small contribution, I’m still trying to finalise the details of the webinar with Miko Peled and Dr Stephen Sizer. It was all locked in for this coming Monday evening but then there was some uncertainty about Miko’s schedule at the conference he’s attending in Adelaide so we’re in a holding pattern until that’s finalised. I’ll update this page as soon as I have details, and I’m still hoping to have that webinar take place this week.

The webinar that I have locked in is the one for the following week, featuring Julian Assange’s dad, John, and a key member of Julian’s legal team – Adriana Navaro. The focus, of course, will be on the future of Julian and the future of free speech. Put it in your calendar now for 6 pm, Sydney time, on the 18^th. Details will follow.

Two more quick things in closing:

Firstly, it seems that our solar batteries at Binacrombi have given up the ghost! If anyone knows a good solar technician or a good source for solar batteries, please let me know.
Lastly, I’ve locked in my fight on the Gold Coast on December 23^rd. My prayer is that I will put in a spectacular performance that will lead to bigger and better things for all of us. Please pray for that with me. God’s will be done.